


Helping Hands

by PubliusEros



Series: SoKai Day Fics [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Sexual Experimentation, two couples
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 03:36:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16009463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PubliusEros/pseuds/PubliusEros
Summary: One tiny little bump when he wasn't paying attention, and Sora's accidentally sent Kairi to the nurse's office! Blaming himself and fearing he might hurt her again, it will take a reassuring hand - and maybe a little help - to bring him back to comfort at her side. (Written for SoKai Day 2018)





	Helping Hands

Sora feared pain. He was no stranger to it, of course – cuts and bruises were casual acquaintances of his, faded burns and scars old friends. For all his prowess with the Keyblade, he had taken hits. As such, he thought nothing of his own pain. It was something to be experienced and then pushed through, shaken off.

The pain of others, however? He found that unbearable. That, he feared.

“H-how is it?” He asked, for the umpteenth time in mere minutes.

Kairi lowered the bloodied tissue from her nose and examined it. “I think it’s slowing,” she said. “The bleeding, that is. Still hurts a bit!” She laughed then, flashing the same blameless grin she had given him as children, when he had accidentally knocked one of her baby teeth clean out whilst playing. The sight of the toothy smile calmed Sora, but only slightly; she had not bled on her dress then the way she bled on her shirt now.

The air inside the school infirmary smelled like disinfectant and plastic. Even the sheets Kairi sat on carried a whiff of some clinical product, its constant odour making the time pass slower. It gave the boy all the more time to reflect on his mistake – It had only felt like a bump. Barely even a tap, and yet it had ended up here.

School. Sports class. A grass-based variation of Blitzball. Wakka had lead the ball forward, and Sora had sprinted in to try and claim possession. He had brushed past his girlfriend, lunging at the other boy – and barely had his boot made contact when the teacher had blown her whistle, rushing to attend to Kairi. She had been face-down in the grass, hand on her nose, groaning – and then jolting back up seconds later. She’d desperately claimed that she was okay to continue even as blood trailed from her nostril, but despite her protests she’d been sent to the school nurse with a tissue pressed at her nose and a terribly guilty escort at her side.

One all-clear concussion check later and Kairi sat on the bed, doodling idly in a notepad. Her distraught boyfriend fidgeted in the chair across from her. He kept glancing remorsefully at the freckles of blood that pockmarked her gym shirt, biting his tongue as both now waited for the class to end and Selphie to arrive with an unsullied uniform. Their roomy white shirts and blue checked shorts were comfortable enough, but they left the brunet’s nervous movements plan for all to see.

“Darn,” Kairi swore suddenly, thoughtfully nibbling on the end of her pen. “You’re surprisingly hard to get right, Sora.”

Managing a chuckle, he was only barely able to stifle his urge to ignore the statement and ask of her nose once more. “Yeah? Is it…” He lowered his voice. “Naminé? Can you feel her?”

“Uh-huh.” The young woman’s hand moved in elegant strokes, less drawing the image and more guiding it to completion. It made familiar, friendly shapes, Kairi beaming at her own creation. “She’s happy. Peaceful.” A contented sigh escaped her lips. “I can tell.”

Watching Kairi, Sora wanted to hug her. Take her in his arms and add a fiftieth apology to the pile. His nose caught the coppery tang of blood intermingling with the faint scent of magic that always radiated off her form. Magic and steel. She smelled like a Keyblade. He wanted to embrace her. Whisper reassurances she probably didn’t need. His mouth was ready to form them.

“So… is it Naminé’s drawing, or yours?” He asked instead, craning his neck, secretly hoping to see the lines produced by Kairi’s graceful hands.

“Ours!” She swung the pad around. “Look, it’s us!”

Rendered on the page was a depiction of them both, laughing as they trampled grass with a game ball between their feet. They wore sports class numbers, clashing happily in friendly competition, and even without a drop of colour Sora could tell that the only red in the scene was Kairi’s scarlet hair. It was the very mirror of today’s class –

Only nobody was hurt.

“O-oh. Is that…” Sora gripped his armrests of his chair guiltily. “…what you would’ve liked today to be? I’m sorry.”

“Nope! It’s next week’s match,” Kairi all but sang, not letting him sink into blame. “See there? Your hair is an inch or so longer.”

“An inch…” The Keybearer seemed sceptical, confused in his usual boyish way. “How can you tell?”

Sprouting a devilish smile, the princess held her notepad in both hands and hid her expression behind it. “It’s pretty hard to see,” she said. “You gotta get closer.”

The ticking of the clock by the infirmary window was audible in percussive beats as Sora thought. Kairi was inviting him closer; and though he would usually hasten to join her he now felt unsuited to do so. Guilt still gnawed at his stomach. He opened and clenched his fist indecisively, all too aware of the forceful power brimming in his body from a year or more of adventures… and all too scared at how it had put Kairi here with a bloody nose, even unintentionally.

“C’mon,” she goaded, red eyelashes scything as she jiggled the paper. “It’s not just me. Naminé says she wants you to see it too. Says you need to.” Her azure eyes flashed sympathetically. “Please…?”

Gulping back a hesitant sigh, Sora obediently rose off his seat and leaned in, straining his eyes to see the apparent differences in the drawing. “I don’t see it,” he grumbled. “Am I…?”

“It’s there.” Kairi pulled the pad back further. “You have to look where your hair droops. About there, see it?”

Fabric rustled as Sora lay a hand on the mattress, veering ever closer. His fingers dug grooves in the sheets, crumpling and creasing the rough-but-soft surface of cheap, disposable bedding.

“Huh.” She seemed surprised. “It should be clear as day by now.”

Frustrated, Sora scrunched his brow, forcing himself to focus on the monochrome puzzle before him. Somewhere in this drawing was a detail he’d missed, and he was determined to make finding it his-

The paper was pulled away as Kairi’s face appeared behind it, pressing her pursed lips to his in a sudden kiss. He flinched at it, but her spare hand drifted up the back of his neck and nestled into his spiky locks. Unable to pull away, and invited further in by Kairi, Sora instead let himself settle into the smooch, feeling the rose gloss of his girlfriend’s lips; raspberry rich.

“There,” she breathed, tugging gently as she pulled away. “See? I know how your hair works up close.” She punctuated the statement with a sweet giggle. This close, Sora could see the freckles in her eyes, the gentle slope of her crimson hair as it fell upon her face. He couldn’t stop his cheeks from flushing red as his body reacted to her surprise. She was so beautiful. So generous.

And he was not worthy. Not after hurting her.

“I-I have to go. I’m s-so sorry.” He stammered uselessly as he wriggled out of her fingers and made for his bag, scooping up a thick sports shoe and hopping around as he tried to slip it back on his foot. The sight should have given cause for Kairi to laugh, but instead she pouted as she watched him urgently prepare to leave. A voice was shouting at him from deep inside, trying to calm him down, but by choice or instinct he did not listen to it.

“Sora!” Kairi folded her arms, puffing out her glowing cheeks. “Don’t get like this. You didn’t hurt me. I want you to come and tell me that you understand that. Besides, Selphie isn’t here yet to get me for next period.”

Swapping feet, Sora gave off a forced, deflecting laugh. “I could’ve sworn I just heard her arrive! Besides, I’m… I’m Riku’s partner for the science project? Gotta get there before the bell! You… you understand, right?” He flashed his toothy grin.

Kairi deepened her frown. “Yes. But I have you until Selphie gets here. Now get over here and let me show you that everything’s okay. That you didn’t hurt me.” She held out her arms, unintentionally giving Sora a clear look at the flecks of blood still on her gym shirt. The thorns of guilt in his stomach turned to daggers once more.

At that moment, there was a bobbing of brown hair as Selphie’s smiling face poked through the ajar door. “Hey guys! All okay in here?”

“Yes! We’re fine!” Sora blurted out, squeezing past the newcomer and through the open door before Kairi had a chance to respond. “I really gotta go. I-I’ll see you sometime on the weekend, I think…!” His voice trailed off as it receded beyond the room, his rushed footsteps sounding on the floorboards all the way outside.

“What was that all about…?” Selphie asked, shaking her head to clear it and turning back to Kairi. She dumped Kairi’s bag on the end of the bed, change of clothes visible in the open zipper, and plopped herself down on chair that had held Sora only moments ago. “You okay?”

Kairi realised she was still holding up her arms, and lowered them. “No. He’s just being stupid.”

“Yeah, looks like it,” Selphie grumbled, smoothing out her skirt. She met her friend’s grim expression with a laugh, breaking the stale air of the infirmary with the sound. “At least it’s Friday, right? Got the whole weekend to relax and get him out of your hair!”

“Uh-huh,” Kairi laughed. “I’ll wash him right out, puffy shorts and all. He’ll have to wear proper pants if he wants to apologise!”

Selphie threw her head back in laughter. “Now that’s an image!” She guffawed, before holding up her fingers, examining the finish of her glittery fingernails as she chatted. “You and I both know that boy doesn’t have any normal pants. Do you remember that ugly red… _thing_ he used to wear? With the zipper all the way down? It was like, the worst onesie ever. I’m glad that’s gone, even if the new ones have about fifty thousand belts too many. Where did he even get those, do you know? They remind me of this one thing Tidus wore once…”

Even as she nodded along, Kairi had to work to keep the worry out of her voice. While Selphie conducted rapid-fire gossip, Naminé had wilted within her. At the sight of Sora running away the Nobody had descended into anxiousness and fear, unable to feel Roxas’ soothing presence. The drawing pad trembled in her hand. Kairi grit her teeth behind her smile.

She needed help.

\--

The store window faced an ill-kept cul-de-sac of a street, lambent beams of orange light forming rectangular imprints on the pavement. Sunset hung heavy over the crumbling road, the blues of the coming evening highlighting the dark cracks in its surface, pockmarked by sand and roots and erosion. Nearby trees caught stray shines of pink and yellow from over the horizon. A breeze from the sea rustled their branches, which sagged with overripe paopu; the fruit put a sweet and bitter smell in the air, waiting for hand or gravity to pluck it from place.

Riku stood at the shopfront, watching the lavender sky as it promised night. His back was still lit up by the artificial light as he stopped to unwrap his afternoon snack, pulling back the cover of a white paper bag. He had not usually been one for greasy foods, but his extended absence from the Islands had changed many things about him. Nowadays, he was not averse to starting the weekend with a particularly ridiculous treat – an overcooked sausage covered in fatty patty and skewered on a stick. It gave off wisps of delicious steam in the dusk, teasing his nostrils, inviting – nay, demanding – his first bite.

Just as he rose it to his mouth, a hand clapped on the shoulder.

“Rikuuuuu!” Kairi laughed, elbow digging into his ribs. “Lingering around the store when it’s getting dark, still getting snacks? You’re weird. Shouldn’t you be at home?”

“Shouldn’t you?” Riku shot back, gesturing to the setting sun with his food. “You got let out late. Was it your nose?”

“Uh-huh. Had to wait while the teachers ummed and ahhed over whether to tell the mayor – I mean, dad.” Kairi rapped her knuckles against her head with a grin. “Eventually they made me wait while they got all these papers ready in case he wanted he wanted to contact them. It’s all too much for a bump.”

Riku shrugged, loosening his checkered blue school tie. “Parents can be a little weird. Probably best not to mention the bit about Sora to your dad.”

“Yeah!” Kairi laughed. “I mean, it’s not like Sora could be _more_ nervous around him. Whenever he’s visiting and everyone’s home, he goes-”

“Stiff as a board?” Riku interjected, smile spreading across his thin lips. “All clamped up, hands at his sides, ready to snap a dumb salute? Seen that one before. Honestly, even Goofy looks less silly.”

Though she laughed, he could easily see the melancholy shimmer that passed through her eyes. She had turned to face the sunset, searching for meaning in its receding light. “Well,” she said, selecting her words with trademark care, “we both know he can be really silly indeed sometimes.”

Moments passed, and Riku tore the head off his snack. He passed it to her, who took it, now listening for wisdom in his words.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he said, reshouldering his bad and starting down the cragged road to Kairi’s house. He didn’t need to look back to successfully predict her next movements – she examined the oily morsel in her hand, savoury and filling, with just a slight smear of mustard on her finger. Then, taking a nibble, she jumped into his stride and launched into an extensive explanation of the day’s events.

“Damn, that’s rough. For both of you,” Riku said, when she had caught him up to speed. He seemed to barely react, but his friends knew the slight cocking of his head that indicated genuine concern. “He freaked out yet?”

“Yes!” Kairi threw her hands out in exasperation, still slimy from licking off residual flavour. “I don’t it. I’m totally fine. Why is he so worried?”

The question drifted through the air for a moment as Riku replayed memories in his mind. Not all of them were happy, but remembering Sora’s scrunched-up face as he charged with the Keyblade steadfast in his hand elicited a feeling of fondness. In hindsight, everything about the scene was comical; the crack in the boy’s voice, the way he jangled with zippers and buckles with every step, his sinking imprints of his massive shoes in the snow. Still, the moment was just the one he needed.

“Did Sora ever tell you about the Land of Dragons?” Riku asked.

“Land of Dragons…?” Kairi wondered out loud. “Um. I think so! That was Mulan and Mushu, right?”

“That’s right. There are probably a few things he’s never told you about his adventures there, for one reason or another. Namely, he fought me there.”

“He did? Oh no!” Kairi jumped ahead, suddenly worried. “Were you okay?”

Striding past her, Riku almost teased her by asking how she was so sure Sora had won, but bit his tongue. He wasn’t too keen to admit that the fight had left him with more bruises than just his pride. Instead, he simply nodded as he caught up to her. “It wasn’t much of a fight. Plus, he didn’t know that it was me. I still looked weird, and was wearing an Organisation robe. Of course he thought I was a threat.” He smirked. “That’s his way.”

“So he saw me as an… enemy?” She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense.”

“No, that’s not it. He’d never attack you, Kairi. In fact, if the darkness somehow took you, I think he’d sooner join you. But that’s not what I mean.” Riku locked sight with the horizon, its last gashes of violet glow reflected in his eyes. “I mean, that even though everything happening around him was very complicated, he always made it simple. If someone wore that black robe, they could be out to hurt you or me or his friends, so he’d try to stop them. If someone in trouble needed refuge in his heart, he’d try to grant it. If the path ahead became clouded or confused, he’d just do whatever he could to try and help. He… really just wanted to help everyone he could. Still does. He makes things simple, then does the right thing.”

By now, the two had traipsed into the substantially better-kept streets of the Islands’ nicest neighbourhoods. Midway between the school and the town, the cosy suburb was a perfect place for the mayoral residence, the high fences of which were visible further down the street. It was dark now, and the streetlamps had flickered on above them, but both moved with total confidence, the unique bumps and twists in the pavement memorised in childhood.

“So, what did he do?” Kairi asked, sensing Riku’s point. “When he realised he’d fought you and not some enemy, I mean.”

“Oh, he freaked out.” He laughed. “Kept running away from talking to me as though he was afraid I hated him. When that passed, he apologised over and over for days. He tries to hide it, but he’s always worried that by making things simple, he’ll get things wrong and hurt someone who doesn’t deserve it.” Riku’s sharp features turned to look at Kairi. “I imagine he doesn’t fully comprehend how much he loves you, so he tries to keep it simple. Do what you ask, don’t be away for too long, and never, never hurt you.”

Even in the space between streetlights, Kairi’s cheeks glowed vibrant red. “Th-that makes sense.” She nodded. “So he feels like he’s just proven himself unworthy.”

“Yep. So, think you can fix that?” Riku stopped outside her gate.

“I think so. But, Riku,” she whispered now, worry folding her relieved smile back down. “Days? I can wait that, but… Naminé can’t. She needs to see Roxas. She gets… a bit scared, when she can’t feel us being together.” Her delicate hand tugged at Riku’s rolled-up sleeve. “Can you help? Convince him to meet me?”

Thoughtful for a moment, Riku rolled his shoulders coolly. “Been hot today, hasn’t it? Ever since midday.”

“Y-yeah…?”

His hand perched on her shoulder, and invited her to look at a thick grey cloudfront crawling in from the sea. “I think it’s gonna cool down tomorrow.”

For several long seconds, Kairi’s face was utter confusion, until every feature widened with realisation at once. “Oh. Ohhhhh! Good thinking. Thank you, Riku! You’re amazing.” She flung her arms around the tall teen’s neck, giggling when he shied away from the sudden and intense affection. Instead, she placed her hands on his cheeks and pressed her forehead to his chest in fond gratitude.

He ruffled her hair, she chirped a final thanks, and then she disappeared inside her gate. Half-caught in lamplight, Riku was alone but for the ambient hum of nearby homes and the echo of an absent breeze.

Stuffing a hand in his pocket, Riku made his way to the street corner and pulled out his snack. Still barely touched in the smudged paper, the thing was lukewarm but salvageable. The sausage now looked duller, the pastry flatter, and all its appealing oils and sauces had partway congealed into thick deposits of grease – but still hints of warmth and flavour made his stomach growl fervently. Any longer and the thing would no longer be worth its price, so he lifted it to his mouth.

“Riku…?”

As if summoned, Sora stood there. He looked morose. His legs were together, his hands nervously tugging at the strap of his school bag, and rich veins of guilt drooped everything above the neck – even, seemingly, his hair. “Can… can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” He hopefully kept his food in his hand. “What’s up?”

“It’s Kairi...!” Sora took a tentative step forward, his voice breaking as he allowed himself to unravel. “I messed up. I hurt her. I don’t know what to do…” His hands, just shy of shaking, reached out and tugged the very same centimetre of sleeve that Kairi had. “Help me. Please.”

Quickly and with an inaudible sigh, Riku dropped his morsel back into its bag and accepted his hunger. “Okay. I’m sure everything’s going to be fine. Let’s go for a walk.”

\--

The rain had come on hard and fast and seemingly out of nowhere, transforming the radiant Destiny Islands day into an unexpected summer storm. The deluge fell in walls of grey, blanketing all that it touched in cold water – including Sora, who dragged himself groaning and frowning up the step of his front door. He paused at the threshold, safe under the eaves, and pulled his house key from his pocket. He scoffed at its quaint size and turned it in its lock, only for the mechanism to refuse it. A twist of the handle revealed that the door was open, and so he poked his head inside despite still dripping from every extremity.

“Mum?” He called, to no answer. He stepped inside, then froze as he caught sight of the coatrack near the door – hanging from it was an anachronism of an umbrella, pastel pink and bone dry. It was clipped tight, unused, and it practically glowed amid the straw hats and beach towels. Sora gulped hard. It could realistically only belong to one person.

His shoes made wet squelching sounds as he left them by the door, shedding his small jacket in the same moment. He hung it several hooks away from the rosy parasol, afraid of blemishing its prominence with his own garment. A voice again surged inside him, at once familiar and different, demanding him to cease worrying about it – but Sora’s anxious heart shouted it down. The blood had been all too clear on her shirt.

His feet were cool on the wooden flooring as he made for the kitchen, watching the downpour through misted screen doors. Water chafed the skin under his crown necklace, so he hastily pulled the chain off and set it down on the counter. He grabbed a handtowel from the bench, running it over his face…

And then he saw her. A vision in pink.

Kairi was the very picture of elegance sitting at their little round table. She occupied only one of its several spaces, and yet a soft halo of rosy light gave her presence beyond her form. She looked warm and comfortable, unblemished by rain. Not a thread nor hair was out of place, her eyes closed and a teacup held to her smiling lips. It was as though she had never known discomfort, and even the leafy aroma of her tea seemed like just another of her endless sensory beauties. She placed the bowl-shaped cup on its saucer, and nibbled at the end of a shortbread biscuit.

“I wonder how many of these I’ve eaten over the years,” she sighed. “Gotta be hundreds. Thousand, even! Ever since we were little.”

“Y-yeah.” Sora awkwardly scratched his head through thick wet clumps of hair. “Well, they are Mum’s favourite! Is she still here?”

“You just missed her.” Kairi stood, swirling and swallowing the last dregs. “I told her I was taking you to the beach. I don’t think she thought it was going to rain, though.”

_But you did_ , Sora thought, recalling the umbrella hanging by the door. He felt himself blush at the thought that she’d taken the effort to plan this and averted his gaze, trying to hide it. “S-so… why are you here, then…?”

“Yesterday,” she began, as she brought her saucer to the sink and rinsing it in tap water. It sloshed over her hand, bubbles decorating her skin as she cleaned out the amber smudges in the cup’s basin. Her biscuit, Sora noticed, was left intact near his pendant. “You didn’t stay. You left before you let me know whether everything is alright. I want to make sure it is.”

She was close now, close enough for Sora to breathe the memories of their love; ocean and chalk and paopu. He winced as her hands clasped his wrist, one wet and one dry. ”Well, uh…” He struggled to find the right words, cogently aware of the droplets falling from his hair, pooling at his feet to join a cold circle around his feet. He felt trapped within it, Kairi’s touch the only balm from his racing thoughts, his aching chest, his shallow breath that couldn’t form words. “I-I’m scared, Kairi. I’m scared that I hurt you, even though you’re fine. Worse, I’m scared that… next time, you might not be.”

“Sora…” Her voice was sweet and forgiving, a sound summoned from the soul. “It was just a nosebleed. Any bump from Wakka, or Selphie… even Pluto would do the same! You’ve never hurt me. Nor would you. And besides, I’m training, remember? So I can be strong too.” Her hands tumbled down his wrist to enclose his fingers in a tight squeeze. “I want to be as strong as you inspire me to be. I know Naminé feels the same way. I’m sure Riku, and Roxas, and the King, and everyone else would say so too, if you asked them!”

“N-Naminé said that?” Sora asked, his previous guilt swelling. “Oh no. She’s… I would’ve worried her. I really messed up. I’m sorry.”

“You got scared.” Her lips, pink like her dress, soft like her soul, brushed against his cheek. “You’re allowed to. Can you please feel better for me?”

“Thank you. I’m sorry. I’m just… still a bit worried, I guess. I don’t want to hurt you, or Naminé. Or any part of your ever again.”

His fingertips trembled as they dusted over the smooth texture of her dress, cherishing every second they got to spend there. He sniffled, a wayward tear in his eye; her forgiveness and presence were too much for him to withstand. “It’s okay,” she said, hugging him around his damp undershirt, calming him with her scent and warmth. “Your strength is a blessing to all of us.”

“How… how so?”

Excitement raced just under Kairi’s skin as her moment neared. “Follow me…?”

“Can’t we just stay here?” He laid a kiss in her red hair, clearly in love with the moment they were sharing.

“Oh, okay. Just let me…” She gestured at her sweet biscuit, and reluctantly Sora loosened his hug. Her hand made for the sweet, but only when it was too late did Sora see the mischief sparkling in her eyes. She changed her target at the last second, snatching up Sora’s necklace and sprinting into the house.

Sora wheeled around. “H-hey! Give that back!”

“Make me!” She shouted over her shoulder, whooping and leaping with laughter as she dashed up the stairs. Sora gave chase, springing off an unprepared foot to race after her. She was a pink blur as she rounded the steps, clearly making a beeline for his room. Sora took the stairs two at a time, not stopping to think, not even sure why he wanted his necklace back so badly. Clearing half the height in mere moments, he glanced up, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kairi’s fluttering skirt as it made for his door – instead, he saw a different one, standing right in front of him.

Like a phantom of white grace, Naminé waited at the top of the stairs.

Waiting with her hand outstretched, her expression seemed to change as Sora’s momentum brought her palm directly into his chest. He stumbled back, seeing her enigmatic smile – and her fingers closed around a ghostly hand that was emerging from his chest. It was attached to a spectral arm that emerged directly out of his form. He was blinded by a sudden burst of light, and managed to stop himself from falling by clutching to the railing. When stars had stopped dancing behind his closed eyelids, he dared to open them – and had to blink to make sure what he was seeing was real.

Naminé embraced with Roxas in a shower of light, the two Nobodies seemingly plucked from their existence as part of Kairi and Sora and brought back into the world. They held each other tightly, breathing thanks for their being here. So breathtaking was their reunion that Sora almost didn’t see Kairi as she plopped herself down on the stairs next to him, also gazing lovingly at their other selves.

“I knew you’d have some trouble seeing how gentle you are, Sora,” she said. “So I talked to Naminé about arranging some helping hands.”

Sora stood, speechless, as both Nobodies turned to look at them.

“Hello, Sora,” Naminé said. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You’ve been a bit stupid, man,” Roxas chortled, shaking his head. “I tried to talk you down and everything, but nope. Now we have to help.”

“Thank… you…?” Sora blinked, dumbfounded. “Um… it’s good to see you guys too, but what do you mean…?”

The two Nobodies looked at each other, and shared a knowing smile. Kairi leapt to her feet beside her partner, and slid her fingers around his. She began to guide him the stairs once more, slowly this time, leading the way to his bedroom. The rain was louder than ever – there was no world beyond the love in these walls.

“Follow us, Sora,” she said. “Let us show you all the joy your strength brings.”

Closing the door behind them as they entered, both couples made their way to the soft yet perpetually-dishevelled mass of sheets that was Sora’s bed. Even as Kairi led him, Sora couldn’t help but gawk at his Nobody – pulses of gossamer light passed over their skin, rippling out over Roxas and Naminé both from the point where their fingers met. Their soft glow, and the way they tingled with weightlessness, piqued Sora’s curiosity. They were present, whilst also being _not here_.

“Sora,” Kairi murmured, reclaiming his attention. Her cheeks were aglow, her fingers kneading his palm in excitement. She seemed to feel a swelling in her heart as Naminé enjoyed a first brushing of Roxas’ fingers over her hips. The blond’s fingers smoothed over ivory fabric and turned the dress at its hem, waiting for permission before beginning to drag the bunch the skirt up her thighs. Her white underwear peeked out; Sora hastened to look away. There was a giggle.

“You’re a very good person, Sora,” Naminé commented, her melancholy features displaying rare amusement. Her own delicate hands were skittering up Roxas’ torso, peeling away articles of his clothing. “Only you would be embarrassed about something you’ve seen before.”

Sensing Sora’s confusion, the now shirtless Roxas wheeled around. “Remember, we’re within you two, all the time. What you’re looking at now, is what we see every time you two decide to… well…” He trailed off, gesturing from himself and Naminé – who was nodding sagely – over to them, and curled his fingers together.

There was a transfixing beauty to how the two undressed each other. Naminé came undone inches at a time, Roxas stopping regularly to ask for her permission before continuing. She said yes every time, gratitude sparkling in her eyes.

_He’s so gentle,_ Sora thought.

On the other hand, she reduced Roxas to his briefs in mere moments, leaving him slightly uncomfortable in near-nakedness, as though he feared he was unsightly. Kairi recognised the hesitant body language, and circumvented it.

The scratching sound of a zipper opening snapped Sora from his reverie. Kairi had sat him down and leaned over him, reaching into his shorts to touch the firm imprint of his shaft just as Roxas dragged a few trained fingers over Naminé’s mound. All four teens gasped. Only two had been touched, but boy and girl both felt an echo of their other self’s pleasure, doubled and intense.

Erection now straining against his trousers, Roxas lowered Naminé onto the bed and gently pried at her sex with his fingers, stroking at her through dampening cloth. She gasped, making Kairi shudder; the ghost of sensation that ripped through her made her thrust her hips into Sora’s back hungrily. Her crotch bumped into him, feeling more like a promise than an accident. Her fingers encircled his length and made first, formative strokes. She whispered in his ear.

“Just watch. Watch how gentle he is with Naminé. That’s you.” She squeezed his shaft with the utmost tenderness. “That’s your strength.”

In awe, Sora bit his lip and let himself be pleasured as he watched the others escalate, their contact building to fervent, naked rubbing. Naminé moved with a passion and Roxas with a tenderness that Sora hadn’t expected from either; maybe, each had learned from the other. Maybe they were simply grateful to touch one another directly, unfettered by the overly romantic designs of the Princess of Heart and her sworn Keybearer. Naminé slid her palm up Roxas’ length, all the way to his seeping tip, and Sora twitched in time to the motion – he swore he’d felt the same hand, down to its faultless slopes and bumps. It was Kairi’s hand, after all, and he’d memorised every detail. The girl in question was shimmying the shorts down his thighs and pulling away the waistband of his underwear to better pleasure him. The enticing stimulus of her heavy breaths and obvious desire was making him drunk on her happiness.

Naminé had been encouraging her boyfriend with a trembling hand, but now it became hasty and firm as she hummed in mounting rapture. Roxas dropped to his knees before her, stroking himself with one hand, opening her legs with the other. His golden hair pressed into his temple as she trapped his head in her thighs, an unspoken command to service her.

“That’s a good idea. Very gentle…” Kairi whispered, one hand tantalisingly drifting up Sora’s undershirt as her other rolled the tip of his erection. “Maybe… you’d like to do that too? At the same time? I loved it the last time you did it…”

Body stiffening at the memory, Sora squirmed as he shuddered out a nod. Saliva pooled in his mouth at the thought of tasting Kairi again. He laid his lips thankfully upon her hand, kissing its slender shape over and over as she pried the undershirt off his still-damp chest. She laid her hands on his chest, rising and falling with his breath, warming the skin effortlessly.

“You’re so beautiful,” she cooed. “So gentle. See? Everything’s okay.” Her lips muzzled into his hair, lost in its angles and bunches, rain still rich in his scent. “I know this is going to be amazing.”

Sliding off her, Sora’s knees thudded as he hit the carpet. He felt his aching shaft with painful clarity, straining against his black smallclothes. A tiny wet tip had dribbled into the fabric as he’d twisted to face Kairi’s open thighs, and now he felt his slick glans as her hand guided him into the pink perfection of her folds. One hand was embedded in his hair, drawing him in; the other helpfully pulled her own panties aside to reveal the full, dripping extent of her arousal. She was of a scalding heat, lower lips glossy and pert, inviting his mouth to fuse with its own velvet warmth. Dew even crested her fine red hairs, prickling as contact became imminent. The moment felt sacred, the seconds stretching as Sora reached out with a first nudge of his dutiful tongue.

Sitting side by side, Kairi and Naminé both arched their backs and let out near-identical moans, the throbbing of their bodies compounded by the same wonderful stimulus.

Sora’s lips were like ripe fruit; soft, soft and hard at once, with a texture seemingly designed for touch. The warmth of his tongue, coated with saliva, made Kairi dilate in ecstasy. The muscles in her belly shook and tensed, unable to process the wealth of pleasure that darted to the ends of every nerve in her young body. Sora was inexperienced, his movements languid and sloppy – but so was she, teenage need making her buck her hips and force her flesh further into her boyfriend’s eager mouth. He let out a muffled squeak, which lowered into a drenched moan. His head became heavy as he let himself be taken in more and more by her. His fingers gripped at her thighs to entrench himself in her, in pure bliss.

Beside them, Roxas was just as contented in the way he cherished Naminé’s folds. He seemed to have more control than Sora, more forethought, perhaps spurred by months of dreaming for an opportunity just like this one. His lips meshed with her entrance as though they had been designed to fit, squelching together in practised motions. Both girls were releasing chittering moans, broken words of thanks, enamoured sounds that drifted down and settled like steam over their boys’ captive tongues. Their hands coursed through thick reams of jagged, uneven hair, pulling them deeper into themselves. Each was the queen and master of their own incarnation – Naminé with her Roxas of the twilight, and Kairi with her sun-dappled Sora.

As if moved by their shared duty, Sora and Roxas sought each other out. Their hands drifted away from the skin of soft thighs, linking together to share their sensation. Their fingers locked together, Sora’s right and Roxas’ left, grasping desperately for help in processing the immense sensation of bringing such joy to their partner. They shook together, tongues sliding, nostrils filled with musk, hips bucking uncontrollably into empty air. Their cocks drooled in their briefs, begging for stimulus, but forgotten in favour of bringing absolute joy to the woman in front of them.

A sharp cry filled the air as Naminé let out an overwhelmed sob of pleasure. Her eyes were fixed on Roxas, her body trembling to a climax, simply unable to decode the enormous and fully-formed pleasure rushing through to her core. Her perfectly pale cheeks now tinged a fatal shade pinker, her skin prickling with goosebumps. Her back arched, fingers flexed into in Roxas’ blond plumage – and wrenched her body in arrival, the echoed pleasure too much for her frail body to withstand. Her eyes went hazy, her hips shivering as Roxas stayed between her legs, his tongue massaging her gently to draw out every last throb from her clenching and climaxing muscles. She slumped back into the bed, taking in large gulps of air. Roxas rose his dripping lips and kissed her spent folds a final time in thanks.

Panting as she shared the waves of pleasure with her Nobody, Kairi stroked Sora’s brunet spikes slightly more erratically. Her own nerves had become frayed and in desperate need of release, and his tongue was too slow and nervous. He had shown a natural aptitude for her enjoyment, however, as he had learned to listen for her wet gasps and groans when he parted her folds at a certain point, or tongued her at the apex of her twitches. He was learning. But not quite there yet.

“Th-that’s plenty, my love,” she whispered, coaxing his tongue out from between her thighs. Though he gasped for air, eyelids sagging, her arousal leaking from his chin, his eyes shone with so much gratitude that he looked about ready to cry with joy.

“Was I… gentle?” He asked.

She nodded.

By now, Naminé had been helped back onto her knees, still shaky from the force of her arrival. Roxas was cuddling her without a single thought to his own desire; he brushed fingers through her sweat-matted hair, making sure she was okay with whispered questions. She nodded, her head tucked into the crook of his neck. “Th-thank you,” she croaked, looking first to the couple still tangled together, then adoringly to Roxas. “I’m so glad. You help me feel… loved.”

“You are.” Roxas squeezed her hand, thumbing away a first tear as it twinkled in her eye. “Hey, listen to me. Everyone loves you, okay? And every time we’re all together is… amazing.”

Slowly, her sadness thawing into a smile, she nodded. Sora watched them, feeling their happiness as his own, his eyes welling with their relieved and joyous tears.

“See?” Kairi asked, pulling him up into an embrace of her own. “Your strength is the kind that heals, not hurts.” Every word began to drip with need. He smelled her glossy lips once again. Raspberries. “Now, please… show that strength… to me.”

And with that, Kairi began to touch him again, and him her. Their minds emptied save for love made physical, erasing all other desires but the feeling of their joined bodies. Sora traced his fingers over Kairi’s mound, bypassing soaked underwear to slip a finger into her lower lips. She wrapped a possessive arm around his hip, ordering him before her as she took his swollen cock in her hand. She ran fingers down its length, spreading his thin fluid, making him bite back moans and quivers.

Suddenly, the feeling of an unexpected hand at his wait made Sora jump and pull back his hands. “Easy, easy,” Roxas said, standing at his flank. “I’m not going to do anything, don’t worry.”

As he said this, Naminé positioned herself in the bedding behind Kairi. She was careful to avoid the touching of anything sensitive, choosing instead to brace her other’s form with slim arms that wrapped around her abdomen. “We just want to feel your love. Show our gratitude.”

Roxas caught Sora in the same soft embrace, arms snaking around his lightly-lined torso. He felt Roxas’ breath on his ear, and all its enamoured satisfaction. Sora blushed a deeper shade; an audience was not what he’d expected. Roxas sensed the embarrassment, and tightened his arms to dispel the fears. “Relax. Just tend to Kairi. Look at her. Think on how much you love her.”

And he did. He was overwhelmed by the sight; she beckoned him closer with an ebullient smile, pink minidress unzipped to her bust, its hem hiked up around her svelte waist. Her arms were thrown open, ready to caress him. Her knees parted tantalisingly, allowing him a glimpse of her sex, wet and ready as he had tasted it. Her body blushed red and pink with all the colours of fire and life.

And her eyes? Her azure eyes, massive and sacred, glimmering with the depth and magnitude of every fathom of every ocean in every world in all the stars?

Those eyes looked at him, and they were in love.

“Go to her,” Roxas whispered. “We’re part of you. We’ll feel it too.”

“Love her,” Naminé gasped. “It will make her so happy. You won’t hurt her. _You_ can’t hurt her.”

Sora blinked, hesitating for a split second as love overflowed in his heart. The air was hot, and that one moment lasted an age. Kairi’s eyes watered, and a single sound spilled from her throat.

“Please.”

Sora cascaded into motion. He took only a single hushed breath of excitement before sweeping Kairi up in his arms. He pressed his lips with hers, feeling every shift in her breath, every beat of her heart, every twitch in her frame, and he guided himself into her. Both moaned with the perfect collision, his cock sliding effortlessly into her waiting folds and eagerly filling her all the way to the base. Her kiss broke with a shrill, hissing breath as she felt her walls expand to welcome her beloved’s body. Sora stopped for a moment, afraid of the pain that threatened her face.

In that moment, both felt the presence of their other selves, arms fixed in loving embrace, reassuring them, reminding them that the moment was nothing to fear. Sora and Kairi allowed themselves to relax and become soft. They waited for the muscles to finish shifting, knees sinking into the plush of Sora’s mattress. Ease and calm settled over them, smiles returning to their faces, and the bedding began to give and rise with the slow rolling of Sora’s hips. Kairi rutted herself on the length within her, clasping sounds of wet skin accompanying awkward gasps, vulnerable moans, and enamoured giggles. She was chirping with delight as she bounced atop him, feeling every perfect second and every splendid inch of skin as Sora held his princess close and made love to her.

“Th-thank you,” he gasped over and over, voice choked with effort. He squeezed her to voice a thousand unvoiceable sentiments. She moved a hand to his head, and brought him back into a kiss. She was blinking back her own tears now as she gazed into thankful eyes. Each could see the glimmering white speckles in the other’s blue orbs, and she said the words he’d refused the day before.

“Of course. Everything’s okay, Sora. I love you so much.”

This time, he accepted them.

Joined in their hearts and bodies and souls, one in all ways, Sora and Kairi suddenly felt awash in light. A glittering wave of golden motes breezed over them, tingling on their skin. The arms of Roxas and Naminé had vanished, their tangible forms dissolved into magic as they had once again merged into wholeness with their other selves. A shared heart now thudded within them both, a whole tableau of emotions blossoming once again in their chests. Everything glowed, the movement of their bodies a harmonious joy.

Sora moaned, clenching, his legs locking around Kairi’s. He could feel his body reaching its limit, all aspects coming to a perfect kind of agreement. Kairi craned her body, her eyes rolling back, her mouth hanging open with the difficulty of breath – clearly, the same agreement was upon her. Sora pushed harder, his hips rocking faster, his breathing becoming tangled with hers in the space between their lips. Without warning, she surged her tongue into his mouth, sliding it around to feel his familiar taste and texture. Overwhelmed in their vital embrace, they sweated and cried and shuddered together as one.

It was Kairi who came first, still feeling the combined sensation of tongue and lips and fingers and cock, the singular focus Sora’s perfect body. She collapsed into him with an overjoyed cry, arrival spilling hot and happy over him. She panted and jerked, still shifting her hips, inviting him to keep enjoying himself. Their fluids mingled thick on their fused groins, the movement becoming turgid and full.

And then, Sora saw it. A glimmer of silver on his beloved’s neck. Kairi had, at some point, adorned herself with his crown pendant. She had kept it safe at her bosom, right above her heart. Now intertwined with her own necklace, its circular gold relief glimmering alongside his, even their symbols tangled together in their intimacy. Their essences beautifully adorned the one body – Sora’s most beloved.

Kairi was wearing his love as a part of her.

He couldn’t stop his hips from spasming, his hands from seizing, his voice from releasing a sputtered cry of delight. He emptied himself in a jolt, seed spreading from his tip, every nerve firing fervent pleasure. He felt her body relax around him. He smelled her salt. Her sex. Her sentiment.

She kissed him again. They were both exhausted, but still she thrummed and throbbed with satisfaction on top of him. They even remained joined for a while, enjoying the residual tingle until their flesh prickled too sorely to maintain the contact. Sora withdrew from her but hugged her even closer, were it possible – and collapsed into the sheets with her. Their bodies began to cool, their sweat drying, and as their hearts slowed back to normalcy they suddenly remembered that it was raining.

Lying there, warm and cosy in their shared warmth, listening to the static of rain on the roof and examining the tiny differentials in their partner’s face, they breathed easy.

“Sorry I freaked out,” Sora said sheepishly.

Kairi shook her head. “Don’t be. If I’d become as strong as you had, I’d be scared too. But I think…” She placed a hand on his cheek. “I think by being scared, you show just how gentle you are.”

Face softening in thanks, Sora wordlessly pulled her into the shadow of his frame. He enclosed her bare shoulders with his warmth. “I guess… everything’s okay. I didn’t hurt you.” The rain was silence for a moment, before he added,

“Thank goodness.”

They lay there together for an hour more, their bodies snuggled together in comfortable tranquillity. Their toes brushed, interlocking and playing as they whittled the time away with idle conversation broken by happy chuckles. They only stopped when the pattering of the rain vanished from their ears, and sun streamed in through the window. Then they untangled themselves and lazily made their way downstairs, bodies slumped and relaxed in the afternoon light.

“Want me to walk you home?” Sora asked, tucking his reclaimed pendant under his shirt.

“Sure. I’d like that. But first…” Kairi ran over to the counter and grabbed her nearly-forgotten shortbread biscuit. She swung around to face him with it dangling between her teeth. “Kissh me.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh.”

Blushing, Sora leaned in and took half the biscuit in his mouth, reaching Kairi’s lips and granting her desire. They broke the sweet in half, both chewing on the crumbling cookie as they held the kiss for rather too long. Sora didn’t care – any contact held with her was a blessing. Not to mention, it tasted like home.

Between the biscuit, Kairi’s raspberry lip gloss, and the scent of the young woman before him, he could feel his past, present and future at play on his tongue.

He savoured every bite.

Kairi unhooked her umbrella from the coatrack, and tucked it under her arm as she squeezed Sora’s hand. They set off together through the glowing afternoon, smelling of rain and determined to jump in every shimmering sunset puddle that they crossed on their way.

\--

“Hey there. You look like you enjoyed the rain.”

Riku picked the overripe paopu fruit off the grass, able to smell its nectar through its swollen and bulging skin. He dug his fingers in, making the orange carapace dimple and bulge; it wasn’t far off beginning to decay, and that meant taking the thing off the school playing fields before someone stepped in it.

“Excuse me,” came Kairi’s voice from behind him. “What are you doing with that innocent paopu?”

He spun around, grinning evilly. “Well, I was maybe gonna throw it out on a piece of driftwood. Let it float until the sun shrivels and rots it good.”

Kairi’s strode forward and snatched it from him, puffing out her cheeks. “Don’t you dare! Give that here!”

“As you wish. Wouldn’t dare steal it from you and Sora,” he teased, relinquishing it. “How many have you two shared, anyway?”

“Oh. Um. Three.” All the anger she had been feigning vanished instantly, replaced by a blush as she recalled the romance of sharing the fateful fruit with her boyfriend. “Though, one of those was in ice cream form, and I’m not sure that counts.” She giggled.

“Well,” Riku said, reaching out and rustling her crimson hair. “I hope that one makes four.”

Spitting out strands, Kairi laughed. “No! I just wanted to rescue this one from you.” She gently placed it in a bed of bushes, as if putting it to bed. “There. Now the island itself can enjoy it. As for Sora and I…” She gestured up into the trees, where a new crop of hanging fruits were slowly blossoming from sour green to ripe gold. “We just have to be patient.”

Chuckling, Riku began to slink away. “You’re becoming a total sap, just like him,” he warned as he strode away, hand resting on the back of his head. “Make sure _you_ give _him_ the nosebleed this time.”

Kairi’s sports shoes, studded to grip the ground, dug into the grass. She was bouncing on her toes with excitement. “With pleasure,” she growled, setting down her bag.

Called to the field by a whistle, she and Sora prowled around each other, a squad of classmates at each of their backs. A game ball was set at centre field, teacher’s arm raised high in preparation, and the air was electric. Kairi was aware of the excited whispers of their classmates, especially as Sora grinned competitively and strode to pass her. Their shoulders collided, and it was Kairi who pushed in – making her boyfriend break stride. He looked back at her, surprised and amazed by her strength. She grinned playfully.

The whistle blew to announce the start of play. Sora sprang off his toes. Kairi leapt off her heels. Students zipped into lazy formations, shouting commands as the game devolved into a stampede of feet and fury. Grass was pulled off the field. Shins scraped and elbows grazed the earth. Green streaks made their marks on white uniforms. And above the din, laughter. Laughter of the two lovers, howling with happiness as they met once more on this field to have fun together.

Away on the sidelines, Kairi’s notepad poked out of her bag. It was turned to an old page, a completed one – a drawing that had once been two teens enjoying game now was four. Naminé and Roxas played alongside their other selves, laughter wide on their faces as they joined in the fun. The picture glowed, the sound of their joy the last colour it needed to fill its lines and become happy reality.

They were all together again. There was no pain to fear here.


End file.
